Retainer



Oct. 12,1943. E. E. BARKSTROM ET'AL RETAINER Filed Nov. 10,

//v vflvrofis 5 L. BA RKS mom H M LARSE/V er M4,? 2 M ATTORN') Patented Oct. 12, 1943 RETAINER Elmer E. BarkstrompChicago, and Henry M. Lar

sen, La 'GrangePark, Ill., assignorsto Western ,Electric Company, Incorporated, New Yor N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 10, 1942, Serial No. 465,174 8 claims. (01. 287-52) This invention relates to retainers and more particularly to a retainer for looking a spool on It is an object of the present invention to provide a retainer which may be quickly slipped into position to lock one member with respect to another and which may just as quickly be removed to release the members from looking engagement.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a retainer is provided for holding a spool on an arbor, wherein a cone for engaging the hub of the spool has a leaf spring attached to it and bent normally to grip the surface of the arbor at an angle such that pressure applied to the cone by the spool will tend to tighten the engagement of the spring with the arbor and wherein a sleeve surrounds the spring and cone for engaging the free end of the spring to release the retainer from the arbor when the sleeve is pulled away from the spool.

A better understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a retainer made in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention and Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the retainer showing the configuration of thesprin and its relation to the slidable sleeve. 1 Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, it will be noted that the retainer is adapted for'use with a spool arbor 5, on which it is desired to look a reel or spool 6. As is usual in such constructions, the arbor is provided with a key 7, adapted to engage a suitable slot formed in the hub of the spool 6 to prevent the spool from rotating with respect to the arbor when the spool is forced against a tapered shoulder 8 on the arbor by any retainer member, such as the retainer member designated generally by the numeral 9. The left end (Fig. 1) of the arbor is rounded, as shown at H], to permit the retainer 9 to be readily slipped onto a reduced portion ll of the arbor.

The retainer member 9 comprises three primary elements: a sleeve l2, a sleeve l3, and a spring 14. The sleeve I2 terminates at its right end in a conically shaped portion l5 adapted to engage a central aperture I6 in the spool 6 to force the spool into locking engagement with the key 1 and tapered shoulder 8. Adjacent the cone-shaped portion l5 of the sleeve l2, a circumferential groove i8 is formed in th sleeve to receive the "the sleeve l2 and attached sleeve l3 reduced portions I9 and of a pair of set screws 2| and 22, which are threaded into the sleeve l3 and have their reduced portions l 9 andflll extending into the groove [8 in order to retain the sleeve IS in place upon the sleeve l2 whil permitting relative rotation between the sleeves. The sleeve l2 has 1 a longitudinally extending groov formed in it extending from its left end toward its right end for receiving a reduced portion 26 of the spring I4, a screw 21 threadedinto the sleeve l2 serving to retain the spring I4 attached to the sleeve l2 and a pin 28 set into the sleeve l2 serving to prevent movement of the spring M transversely to the axis of the sleeve l2 while permitting it to flex from the point of its attachment to the sleeve l2 by the screw 27.

The spring is provided with an aperture 30 just slightly larger than the reduced portion ll of the arbor 5 and the spring hasa bent-over portion, as shown at 3!,s0 that when the sleeve I 2 is slipped onto the arbor, the upper edge 32 "(Fig 2) of the spring will slide along the reduced portion l I of the arbor 5. the spring flexing about its point of attachment to the sleev l2. Thus, and spring It may be readily slipped onto the arbor 5. However, if pressure is applied to th sleeve [2, tending to move it to the left, the upperedge 32 of the spring will tend to bite into the reduced portion ll of the arbor, thereby to prevent the sleeve [2 from moving to the left.

At its upper end, as shown in Fig. 2, the'spring I4 is rounded and extends beyond th periphery v of the sleeve l2 to, a position to be engaged by a shoulder 33 formed in the interior of the sleeve I3. Thus, the gripping action of the spring [4 on the arbor 5 may be released by shifting the sleeve l3 to the left relative to thesleevelZ for when the sleeve I3 is shifted to the left with respect to the sleeve l2, the shoulder 33 will flex the bent over portion 3| of the spring I4 in a direction to move the edge 32 of its aperture 30 out of ngagement with the reduced portion of the arbor In the operation of the apparatus, a spool 6 may be readily mounted upon or removed from the arbor 5 and attached thereto by an operator slipping the retainer 9 onto the reduced portion l l of the arbor. When the retainer 9 is pushed onto the arbor 5, the spring M will flex counterclockwise (Fig. 1) about its point of attachment to the sleeve l2 and will have very little resistance to the movement of the retainer with respect to the arbor. In moving to the position to lock the spool 6 on the arbor 5, the sleeve I 3, through the action of the screws 2| and 22, will push the sleeve H to a. position where the conical portion [5 thereof will be in engagement with the edge of the spool aperture l6 and lock the spool against the key I. When it is desired to replace the spool 6 with another similar spool, an operator may grasp the sleeve I3, which is freely rotatable with respect to the sleeve" l2, and by simply drawing the sleeve [3 to the left, will release the spring M from the arbor and cause the sleeve l2 to which the spring is attached to be moved to the left (Fig. 1).

We claim:

1. A retainer for holding spools on arbors comprising a pair of co-axially mounted sleeves, spool engaging means mounted on one of said sleeves, and a spring having an arbor engaging edge fixed to said spool engaging sleeve and having another edge engageable by the other sleeve to release the arbor engaging edge from the arbor.

2. A retainer for holding a spool on an arbor comprising an inner sleeve member slidable with respect to the arbor, a spring fastened to said sleeve and having a surface for normally engaging the arbor to prevent movement of the sleeve axially of the arbor in one direction, and means encircling the inner sleeve and engageable with the spring to move the spring out of'engag ement with the arbor.

3. A retainer for holding a spool on an arbor comprising an inner sleeve slidable on the arbor for engagement with the spool, a leaf spring having one end attached to the inner spool and being bent at an acute angle to the axis of the arbor and normally carrying one surface in position to grip the arbor, and an outer sleeve mounted for limited axial movement on the inner sleeve for disengaging the arbor engaging surface of the spring out of engagement with the arbor.

4. A retainer for holding a spool on an arbor comprising an inner sleeve slidable on the arbor for engagement with the spool, a leaf spring having one end attached to the inner spool and being bent at an acute angle to the axis of the arbor and normally carrying one surface in position to grip the arbor, and an outer sleeve mounted for limited axial movement on the inner sleeve for disengaging the arbor engaging surface of the spring out of enga ement with the arbor, said outer sleeve being freely rotatable with respect to i the inner sleeve. g

5. A retainer for holding spools on arbors comprising a tubular member having an innersurface for engaging the arbor and having a conical end for engaging a spool, said tubular member having a circumferential groove formed in it and an axially extending groove adjacent one end. a sleeve surrounding and rotatable with respect to said tubular member, means fixed to said sleeve and extending into the circumferential groove to permit a small amount of movement of the sleeve axially of the tubular member, an inner annular shoulder formed on said sleeve, a spring having a reduced portion extending into said axially extending groove and attached to said tubular member, and abent-over portion formed on said spring having an edge normally urged to engage the circumference of the arbor and having another edge positioned in the path of movement of i the shoulder on the sleeve when the sleeve is moved axially of the tubular member in one direction.

6. A retainer for holding spools on arbors comprising a tubular member slidable on said arbor and having a tapered end for engaging a spool, a sleeve surrounding said tubular member and rotatable with respect thereto, means on said sleeve to prevent movement of said sleeve relative to said spool beyond a predetermined amount, and a spring attached to said tubular member and having a bent-over portion provided with one edge for gripping the arbor and a second edge for engagement by the sleeve upon movement of the sleeve with respect to the tubular member to move the one edge out of gripping engagement with the arbor.

7. A retainer for holding spools on arbors comprising a tubular member slidable on said arbor and having a tapered end for engaging a spool, a

sleeve surrounding said tubular member, means on said sleeve to prevent movement of said sleeve relative to said spool beyond a predetermined amount, and a spring attached to said tubular member and having one edge for gripping the arbor and a second edge for engagement by the sleeve upon movement of the sleeve with respect to the tubular member to move the one edge out of gripping engagement with the arbor.

8. A retainer for holding spools on arbors comprising a tubular member slidable on said arbor and having a tapered end for engaging a spool,

a sleeve surrounding said tubular member, means on said sleeve to prevent movement of said sleeve relative to said spool beyond a predetermined amount, and a spring attached to said tubular 'member and having a portion disposed at an acute angle to the arbor, said portion, having one edge for gripping the arbor and a second edge .for engagement by the sleeve upon movement of the. sleeve with respect to the tubular member to move the one edge out of gripping engagement with the arbor by flexing the spring to move said portion toward a right angle position with respect to the arbor.

ELMER E. BARKSTROM. HENRY M. LARSEN. 

